


Magic in a Music Note

by SouseisekiAmazing



Category: Original Work
Genre: Based Off Many Cultures, Cultural References, Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2020-11-27 06:00:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20943467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SouseisekiAmazing/pseuds/SouseisekiAmazing
Summary: Laniel has been trained in combat and music her whole life. After the fall of the monarch, Duhktar has been vulnerable to civil war and the enemy country Mokai, and Laniel is chosen to save it. Her journey consists of death, love, and magic, and throughout all of this, she slowly realizes what she's truly trying to save, and it's not Duhktar alone.





	1. Prologue

The young man fled down the crumbling brick stairs. Chips of it tumbled down at his speed, and few almost crumbled completely. After many twists and turns, he reached the bottom into a small room. Books lined the south and east walls, while an oak table carved with stars stood on the west wall. The north had nothing but a map.

The man ran over towards the map, muttering and moving his finger about the many dot-representing towns and landmarks. Rivers, deserts, mountains, and various other geographical landmarks were drawn vividly. His fingers landed on many parts of every ecosystem. Then, he ran over to the desk and pulled out a large pack.

He stuffed it with various items, from food to books, and hid it behind a slightly ajar bookcase, before closing it completely. Finally, he stopped and rested, his knees collapsing under him onto the stone floor. His body shook, and his breathing was uneven. Hastily, he stood up, clutching the bookcase for balance.

His steps were small but made their way towards a dark corner. After shuffling through the darkness, a metal sound echoed throughout the small room. He brought a small, silver box out, and took out a small bell. The handle was made of nice spruce wood, the body copper painted with purple lilacs. White wings shot out the sides. He stuffed the bell back into the box and put it behind another secret panel in the bookcase, only slightly smaller. He righted everything so no one was suspicious, and carefully made his way back up the falling stairs, nearly tripping a couple of times.

Light seeped through a couple of cracks in the wooden door and flooded in as he pushed it open. The soft cooing of a dove could be heard by a window, and the man-made his way to it. Petting it gently, he attached a piece of rolled-up parchment paper to its leg.

"It's time," he spoke softly. "The time has come, and we can no longer avoid it."

Opening the window, he sent the dove on its way. The moon was going down, as the sun was coming up. Color mixed with color in the sky, like paint splattered on paper by a child or artist.

"The colors mix now, and will stay that way for a long while." He held his hands together in prayer. "May Panja and Riah guide you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to publish this once the book was complete, but I was losing motivation, and I thought that maybe publishing it now would help. Mondays are update days. I have pre-written chapters, so I shouldn't miss any update days.


	2. 1

The tall, young girl, wrapped in a fleece cloak, walked carefully down the beaten, slippery path. Her attire told others she was a hunter, with a longbow and quiver hoisted on her back and a dagger resting on her hip.

As she continued on, the path began to split, but she did not choose left or right. Instead, she continued forward onto the jagged rocks. Quickly, she found the hidden stairwell that led her to a house made of stone.

"Sir Jin-Soo," she called out whilst knocking on the door. It was opened by a large man with the bottom half of his face covered and a large scar running over his left eye.

"Laniel," he said as he stepped back to let his student in.

"What is so urgent, sir?" she asked. He said nothing as he motioned her to follow.

Laniel followed him down the crumbling stairs into the small, dimly lit room. She saw the large map on the wall covered in red circles, the table covered in various books, and the bookshelves half empty.

Jin-Soo walked over to one of the more filled shelves and pulled back the hidden panel. He took the silver box out and handed it to Laniel.

"Open it," he said.

Inside laid a small bell made of copper painted with purple lilacs. The handle was smooth, and the wings seemed to shine despite the limited light. Next, Jin-Soo handed her a large pack.

"What's all this for?" she asked him.

"I'm sending you on a journey."

"A journey?" He nodded at her and gestured over to the map.

She could see five places circled in each of the regions of Duhktar.

"These are the places where you must go," he explained. "I suggest starting here in the West, then end in the South."

"What will I be doing in all these places?"

"Each region holds a set of instruments that you must find. The North holds brass, South holds woodwinds, East holds strings, and West holds percussion." He took the bell out of her hands.

"This bell I gave you is the Bell of Sleep. It's a part of the percussion family. When you ring this, those around you, demon or human, will fall into a deep sleep and won't wake till morning." He gave the bell back to her.

"All those pieces of training we did when you were little, do you remember them? They all led up to this."

Laniel did remember them. She remembered them being tedious and boring.

"Just exactly what type of journey am I going on?"

Her teacher's sapphire blue eyes met her dark chocolate ones.

"You're going to restore balance to Duhktar."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> says i'll be able to upload every Monday and I don't I suck-


	3. 2

Laniel almost laughed before seeing the seriousness in his eyes. As his words settled in, she thought back on everything he taught her.

“So that means that everything I learned has led me to this,” she thought with disbelief and took a deep breath to steady herself.

“What should I expect?” she asked, knowing it better not to ask why she needs to do this.

“Well, as you should know, every region is home to numerous creatures both good and evil. Every step you take, you will enter a home to a different one each time. I’m afraid I can’t tell you all of them, but I have packed some guides for you to help you identify what you’re dealing with.”

Laniel nodded in understanding and turned to the map.

“Since I’ll be starting here in the West, which place should I visit first?” Jin-Soo hummed and looked at the map.

“I would say to start here,” he said and pointed at a city, “in Sari Calu. Make your way up to Cali, hit the Sun Hills next, then Bala Forest, and finally Wind Valley. A fort lies there, which is where you’ll get into the North.”

“However, if you choose to go South next, start in Wind Valley, and make your way to Sari Calu. A fort lies along the Yellowtail River.” Laniel looked at the map and thought about her options.

If she were to go to Sari Calu, she would have to cross the Isai Plains. The journey would be longer, but she could stop at Covere to refuel on supplies and rest.

Wind Valley, on the other hand, is closer. Finding another instrument would be useful against evil creatures lurking around.

“I have to stop by home anyway,” she thought and decided to start at Wind Valley.

“I’ve decided I’ll start here, and continue down to the South,” she said. Jin-Soo nodded in agreement and turned to her.

“A small prayer to you,” he said and placed his finger on her forehead.

“May Panja and Riah guide you, and keep you safe,” He said, and Laniel felt tears in her eyes as her teacher slowly removed his finger.

“On your way, now,” he said softly, “you mustn't waste any time.”

Laniel smiled at him one last time and made her way back home.


	4. 3

Laniel entered her small home and quickly made her way to her room. She knew Jin-Soo had packed everything she needed, but she still needed a few more things. 

The first thing she grabbed was a silver chain with a lapis lazuli hanging on it and put it around her neck. Next, she grabbed a picture hidden in a drawer and stuffed it in one of the inner pockets of her pack.

Once she had everything she needed from her room, she headed down to the kitchen and grabbed a couple of apples, a loaf of bread, and some dried fruit for later. She even stuffed pieces of toffee underneath extra clothes she packed. 

“I think that’s everything,” she thought. She walked out the door and said goodbye to her home.

* * *

The walk down the rocky hill was not a fun one. She almost tripped far too many times for her liking and was grateful when she finally made it down. Laniel took out her map and compass and saw she needed to keep North. 

“Right, I can do this,” she told herself and continued. 

The jagged rocks underneath her felt like they were stabbing into her with every move she made. She made a face the whole time until she reached grassland. 

“Thank the gods,” she thought with relief, “but I can’t camp out in the open.” 

Laniel looked around and saw a hollowed-out opening in one of the hills. 

“I can stay there tonight,” she decided and set up camp. She used her cloak as a blanket and her pack as a pillow. 

“Hopefully I can reach Wind Valley by tomorrow,” she thought and drifted off into a restless sleep.

She woke up at the brink of dawn. She stuffed a piece of bread with some toffee in her mouth and continued on her way. 

Laniel walked on the grassy plains, which was much better than the rocks, without any trouble besides a run-in with a snake. She climbed the rolling hills fairly easily, only stopping once to take in her surroundings and rest. 

As she reached the top of the last hill, she saw some sort of creatures at the bottom. She brought out one of the books Jin-Soo had packed and read that they were called  _ Spiorads  _ and lived in Wind Valley. 

“I did it. I’ve reached Wind Valley.”


	5. 4

She didn’t waste any time traveling down the hill. She had a hand to the hilt of her dagger ready to strike if one attacks. The  _ spiorads  _ didn’t pay much mind to her until she reached the bottom. Laniel now saw them more clearly. They looked like horses with manes of white and coats of black. 

The largest of them walked up to her. She stared into its crimson eyes and heard an echoey voice say,

“What do you seek, traveler?” She looked around for the source but saw no one.

“What do you seek, traveler?” she heard again. The  _ spiorad  _ nickered at her, making her stare into those red eyes once again. She heard that same phrase repeated in them and realized it was the one speaking to her.

“Who are you?” she said in a whisper. It didn’t answer but instead repeated its previous phrase. She figured she’d have to answer it first. 

“I’m looking for the Castanets of Emotion.”

“Well, you’ll never find them here.”

“What?”

“They’re not here. However, answer these riddles and I’ll show you where they are.”

“Riddles?”

“Yes.”

Laniel thought about this. It was a big risk, as she was never the best with riddles, but she didn’t have a choice. Jin-Soo was counting on her, so she needed to take these risks.

“Alright, I’ll do it,” she answered confidently despite her fear. The  _ spiorad  _ said nothing and Laniel felt herself being engulfed by nothing but red.

“Shining brightly in the dead of night, whilst bringing hope in darkened times, but death will always come.” She remembered a riddle similar to this. She always said something like family and other physical things, but the answer was an emotion.

“Love.” She saw the red become duller.

“Its the bringer of war and destroyer of love. It caused the Royals to fall.”

“Hate.” Once again, the red became duller.

“It’s the last.”

“Death.” The  _ spiorad  _ let out a shrill as the red turned to black. The ground shook underneath her, making her fall to her knees.

“You have solved my riddles, traveler, and have earned what you seek. Be warned, however, as these are soon in your future.”

Laniel reached into a fairly large hole that appeared and pulled out two sets of concave wood pieces held together by gold ribbons. They were green with large gold markings in the shape of a flower almost. Gold outlined the edges as well.

“I’ve done it,” she thought. “I found my first instruments.”

“You best hurry, traveler. Time is ticking.” It was right. She didn’t even know how much time she had left.

“I will. Thank you.” She made her way back up the hill and stopped once she reached the top. She took out her map to see where she was headed to next.

“Bala Forest huh? That’s a two days trip.” She looked up at the sky. “I best hurry, then.”

She tucked the castanets in an empty pouch and continued on her way.

“How long was I there for? It’ll be night in no time!” Soon enough, night fell, and she had no choice but to camp in the open. Once settled down, she ate a piece of bread and an apple. She was going to sleep until she saw a piece of paper she knew wasn’t in there before. She took it out and saw it was a guide on how to play her castanets.

“How strangely helpful,” she murmured and took out the instruments.

“‘With one hand, hold the knotted end and place the thumb of your dominant hand into the loop. Lift the other side and thread it around your thumb. Adjust the loop until the knot sits almost at the web of your thumb, and the other just under your nail. Tighten by pulling the knots. Repeat this process for the other hand.’ Okay, it seems easy enough.” 

Saying it was easy, but actually doing it was difficult. She couldn’t get her fingers to cooperate, and resorted to using her teeth to tightening it. The whole situation made her want to say ‘screw it’ and forget about it.

“If it takes me this long to get them on, I’m screwed.” Eventually, she got them on, much to her relief.

“Okay so, ‘Five basic rhythms:  _ RRI _ ,  _ TAC _ ,  _ TIC _ ,  _ PAN _ , and  _ CHIN _ .” She started with  _ RRI _ .

While practicing, she felt her spirits lift. She felt happy and more relaxed. All her frustrations earlier just left. It was only when she stopped did her frustration come back. Laniel didn’t think much of it and brushed it off.

Next, she did  _ TAC _ , then  _ TIC _ , and  _ PAN _ .  _ TAC  _ made her want to curl into a ball and cry for hours on end,  _ TIC  _ made her disgusted with everything, and  _ PAN  _ made her feel jumpy and nervous for no good reason.

“What in Panja’s name is going on?” The last one,  _ CHIN _ , made her angry at everyone she knew and everything she saw. That’s when she finally pieced everything together.

“So each rhythm makes you feel a different emotion? Yeah, okay, that’s fair.” She didn’t touch them for the rest of the night.


	6. 5

Morning arrived painfully early. Laniel groaned and hastily woke up. She ate an apple and a piece of toffee, then continued on her journey.

“From here, it would take a day and a half to get to Bala Forest,” she groaned. The plains seemed endless, and she was beginning to think she’d never get there. Until the next midday, she saw nothing but grass and rolling hills in the distance.

Then, she saw trees straight ahead. She felt a rush of energy and sprinted towards them. She almost collapsed from happiness.

“I’ve finally made it! It’s smaller than I thought it would be, but that’s fine! Now, where do I start?” She didn’t actually know where to start, so she went in blindly. Laniel knew she was a fool for doing so, but she had no choice. 

For the most part, she was alone, with just the trees and the sky. The only sounds were the leaves crunching underneath her boots and the birds’ songs. Until a bright blue color caught her attention.

She placed her hand on the hilt of her dagger and crept closer.

“For someone trying to be sneaky, your outfit gives you away. Come out.” The leaves rustled and she saw pink ballet shoes leap from branch to branch. What sounded like little bells jingling could be heard.

A brunette girl, no older than Laniel herself, landed from out the trees. She had bright blue wings that made a jingling bell noise. If it weren’t for these and her bright outfit, Laniel would have confused her for a spy. Spies who were 16 were quite common. 

“Hello, my name is Bristella. Who might you be?” Laniel blinked a couple of times before responding.

“Uh…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t harm you.”

“What exactly are you?”

“Well, I’m a fairy, the queen to be exact. You must not be from Selou.”

“Selou?”

“Yes, the village north of here.” Bristella pointed her heart staff towards the northeast. Like her outfit, it was a light blue with a pink bow.

“What are you doing out here?”

“I’m looking for something,” Laniel replied.

“Really?” She nodded. “Maybe we can help you.”

“_We _?”

“Yes. Come with me.” Bristella grabbed Laniel’s hand and led her into the heart of the forest. Laniel soon entered a world of magic. She saw men picking berries, women weaving, and children playing. All of them bearing wings on their backs.

“Bristella!” she heard a voice yell. A blue and purple object collided with her. Laniel landed on the ground with a thud as pieces of fabric fell on top of her.

“Oops! I’m so sorry about that!” The fabric was lifted off her and a pale hand was extended out. She took it gratefully and stood up.

“I am so sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going!”

“That’s alright,” Laniel muttered. A short fairy with hair of teal in a braid stood there sheepishly.

“Lain, would you mind telling Estella to prepare a bath?”

“Sure! Let me get these fabrics to Zatia!” The fairy sped off.

“Be careful Lain!” Bristella called after her before turning to Laniel. “Come on, let’s get you to Estella.”


	7. 6

Bristella led Laniel to the bathhouse. Laniel had to climb the mushroom tops that winded around the tree and almost lost her footing many a time.

The bathhouse was a beautiful place, with cherry blossoms winding up the walls and rails on the balcony. Wind chimes swayed in the wind, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

It was here Laniel met Estella, a fairy wrapped in blue and wielded a staff topped with a blue crystal ball. After the introduction, Laniel was given a warm, relaxing bath, then she and Bristella walked across the wooden bridges that connected all the trees and buildings that were built on them together. They arrived at a tavern, where Laniel had a warm meal.

“So Laniel,” Bristella started after the other girl finished. “What were you looking for in the forest?” Laniel took a swig of her cider before answering.

“I’m looking for a set of magical instruments. Do you know of any or at least a legend about such a thing?” Bristella’s eyes widened slightly, then she smiled.

“I cannot say I do. May I ask why?” Laniel raised a brow at her.

“It depends if you know of such instruments.”

“That all depends on your answer, as well.” Laniel stared hard into her deep blue eyes. “I screwed up,” she thought. “Why did I have to open my mouth?”

“Say Laniel,” she said low, “you grew up in the Western territory, right? You didn’t live too far from the Ani Sea. The Lapis Lazuli was the gem of the Sealg house, which was one of the families driven out by the Laal Sainikons after the monarchy fell. I highly doubt you or a family member of yours took that gem after the raid on Cali, as all the gems were destroyed in spite. You have ties to the Sealgs, don’t you?”

Laniel was lost for words. She tried to form legible sentences but failed in doing so.

“If I can recall,” the fairy queen started, “Jin-Soo trained a Sealg daughter. He never said her name. He only said, ‘Look for the bell.’ I saw the bell. I saw the castanets. Be watchful of your stuff, and mind your tongue with strangers. We are friends, and always will be, but that won’t always be the case.” Bristella stood up, and Laniel saw the regal side of her she didn’t see before.

“You are a guest at my palace. In the morning, you can continue on with your travels.” Bristella walked past the other girl, who had stood up after she did. “What you seek is not in this part of the forest. Wait until morning. Then we will talk.” She then walked past her, and Laniel followed close behind.


End file.
